Recognising the importance of clubs’ contribution to global football structures, FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) are pleased to announce an extension to their collaboration agreement, which was established for the first time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The extended agreement, which was signed by FIFA President Blatter, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke and ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, aims to further enhance consideration of club football interests at FIFA level.The FIFA President welcomes the agreement, which addresses a series of areas for stronger integration between international and club football, stating that with it, “we are taking a huge step forward in promoting relations between FIFA and the clubs in a spirit of mutual and constructive cooperation”.Part of the agreement governs the distribution of benefits generated by the FIFA World Cup™ to the clubs. Based on the model developed for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups™, a total of USD 209 million will be distributed among the clubs releasing players to the participating teams in the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. The same amount has been agreed for the 22nd edition to be staged in Qatar in 2022.

The agreement puts the emphasis on fundamental principles such as the promotion of training and player development as well as the sporting integrity of the competitions, in the interests of the game and its appeal to the public. It also includes provisions governing adherence to the International Match Calendar until 2018, and to the effect that the International Match Calendar for the following period (2019-2022) will be based on the same principles as the one currently applicable.In addition, FIFA will continue with the Club Protection Programme, by which clubs are compensated for losses incurred due to players being injured while on international duty. The Club Protection Programme will therefore be extended to at least until after the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™